By Séamus Ó Tuama
James O’Donovan, Tim Young, Billy McAuliffe, and Aidan Murphy were the top four performers in Sunday’s senior men’s trials for the Irish road team at next year’s European championships in Germany.
All four went past the final turn at Castletownkenneigh in nine shots. The team will be selected based on the two best performances from three trials.
On Saturday, the final run for selecting the Dutch Moors panel will also be held in Castletownkenneigh, this is confined to players who have participated in the previous rounds. David Hubbard finished strongly to beat Denis Wilmot by almost two bowls at Lyre.
Wilmot won the first two. Hubbard then got a great third to the forestry to win his first lead by 50m. Neither player got a good bowl from there, but Hubbard kept the lead. He did better in the next two to the tunnel where he had 60m odds. He reached Crowley’s bend in three more to push his lead to almost a bowl.
He held that lead to McCarthy’s bend. He increased the intensity with two big bowls towards the line to take his lead to almost two bowls.
Liam Walsh beat Conor Creedon in the last shot of a Hancy Hubbard Cup tie at Béal na Marbh. Creedon was just fore after two to light. Walsh got a good third to the white house to lead by 50m. He had almost a bowl after his fourth to the top of the hill. He was a full bowl clear after his next. He held that to the rock and increased his lead to the end of the straight.
Creedon won the lead with three good bowls to light past the hedge. Walsh won the next one, but Creedon had a big lead again at light facing the novice line. Walsh levelled down the hill and they were still level past the last bend. Walsh then got a brilliant bowl towards the line to win an 80m lead. Creedon just missed the line with his last throw and Walsh beat it.
Maurice Connolly beat Paul Walsh by two bowls at Ballinacurra. He raised a bowl with two good shots to the end of the factory. Walsh knocked the bowl through Brinny cross, but Connolly raised it immediately with a good bowl to light at Foley’s. He raised a second bowl to Perrott’s. Walsh knocked the second bowl at the GAA, but lost ground again past Innishannon cross.
Mick Murphy beat John Nagle in the Fergal Beamish Cup at the Pike. They were level after six each to White’s cross. There was little in it to Dreaper’s. Murphy raised almost a bowl with a good shot from there. Nagle closed the gap to the novice line.
Murphy raised the bowl again with a great bowl up the hill. Nagle hit back with a big second last, but Murphy sealed it with a super bowl past the line.
In the Reenascreena final Timmy O’Sullivan beat Seán O’Neill by two bowls. O’Neill won the first two, but O’Sullivan’s speed pushed him clear. Two big shots through the four crosses gave him a commanding lead and there was no way back for O’Neill.
Kenneth Murphy beat Michéal O’Sullivan by a bowl at Lyre. O’Sullivan won the first nine to Crowley’s bend where he led by 40m. Murphy won his first lead with a brilliant shot from there. He increased his odds to the big tree and extended that to a bowl to the line.
Kevin Ruby qualified for the Munster Vintage (over-60) B final with the tightest of wins against Dan O’Regan at Peake. He now plays either Liam O’Driscoll or Dinny Nyhan, who won their quarter-finals at the Clubhouse. In the Vintage C Con O’Donovan wiped out a bowl of odds deficit in the last quarter to beat Michael Brennan at Crookstown.
In the Munster Junior Ladies championship, Kate Murray beat Joanne Carroll at Béal na Bláth and Aisling O’Callaghan beat Aisling Crowley at Grange.